The class quieten as I walk in, the subject teacher wasn't in yet "Hermione." Glinda whispers, waving at me from the back.
I stroll to where Glinda sat, ignoring the hundreds of eyes on me "... There's been a lot of rumors about you lately." Glinda starts saying
"Oh, okay." I say half-heartedly, dropping my books on the table
"A lot of students are saying that..." Glinda starts to say
"Please don't, Glinda. I am not interested in whatever they have to say." I say to Glinda, halting her
"But these are serious allegations, Hermione!" Glinda whispers again.
"... Now, look who it is..." Ketura calls, her minions cheering her. She walks over to Eros; who is seated two seats from Glinda and I, and plops her buttocks on his laps.
"Little cousin, I'll show you what you can never get." She utters, grabbing Eros' face and kissing him hardly, all the while not moving her eyes from me.
The whole class watch on anticipatingly, expecting me to run out in tears or something. But strangely, I felt completely normal.
Too normal.
Even Eros snatches his lips to look at me, I return his stare. Maybe just a pinch of hurt, but I feel okay... and powerful.
"Yes! Now, where were we?" Mr. Toloefretus interrupts loudly, disrupting the atmosphere. He drops a bowl of dried flower on the table.
A girl at the front row, lifts up a hand "Yes, Grachi?" Mr. Toloefretus points to her.
"Last week, we stopped at you showing us on how to make plants do our bidding." She answers
"Most definitely! Thank you, Miss Grachi." Mr. Toloefretus smiles at her. Grachi sits happily
"... Still on making plants do our bidding, I will be teaching on how to give life to a plant and how to take it back." Mr. Toloefretus says. We all listen with rapt attention. "Now, everyone say:
Okle fes te ra nos le toi."
"Okle fes te ra nos le toi." Our voices echo.
Mr. Toloefretus did a clap. His wand appears in his hands "Okle fes te ra nos le toi." he chants at the dried flower, pointing his wand towards it.
A low crack meets our ears. Swiftly the flower springs up, blossoming colorfully "Woahhh." The class murmurs
"Okle fes te ra nos le toi!" He chants again. The flower instantly dries up completely, from it roots.
A loud round of applause fills the air. Mr. Toloefretus bows proudly, matching the grin on our faces.
"Now, who would like to give this a try?" He ask. The class goes silent.
"Anyone?!" He calls, scanning through our faces.
"Grachi, Circe, Hera, Eros, Ketura?" He calls. They all look away.
Ketura stands up with a smile, as the class gives her a round of applause. We watch on expectantly, but she didn't move an inch. Instead she gestures towards me, saying loudly "Mr. Toloefretus, I beseech thee. How about we let my little cousin give it a try, I am so sure she'll gladly want to..." She smirks, sitting down.
"Devil." Glinda mumbles underneath her breath.
Mr. Toloefretus rubs his beard thoughtfully "Alright, Miss Hermione! Do come forward please..." He tells me. The class shoots up in a shrilling applause, Ketura's minions the loudest.
"You can do it Hermione, besides what's the worse that can happen?" Glinda whispers hopefully
What is the worse thing that can happen? Everything! Every single thing. My heart beat races up rapidly.
What if I embarrass myself again?
I am just never good at this things. No matter how hard I try ...How do I even tell the world that I have never met my cat yet. How?
"Miss Hermione, please can you come forward quickly. We do not have all day!" Mr Toloefretus say frustratedly.
Calming my breath, I walk to the front of the class.
"Okay?" Mr. Toloefretus sighs, leaving the podium for me.
I clasp my palms "Feki sa mon tua elon kizo!" A wand appears in my hands.
"Tsk. Too easy! and she still had to recite the spell." Someone hollers from the back.
The class erupts in series of laughter, making Glinda to cower her head in embarrassment. Eros shifts uncomfortably as Ketura minions' giggle excitedly.
"You can do it Hermione, you can do it." I tell myself, inhaling before pointing my wand towards the dried flower.
"Okle fes te ra nos le toi!" I chant. The flower springs up colorfully, sprouting fruits.
My lips part in shock.
"Unbelievable..." Mr. Toloefretus utters, looking at me in utmost astonishment. "Yours even has fruits."
"She did it! Hermione did it!" Glinda hollers loudly, standing up.
"Hermione is an amazing witch."
"Maybe she's was just pretending after all."
"I wish, I can be friends with her..." Chatterings fill the air as Mr Toloefretus leaves the classroom. For the first time, I felt really proud of myself.
"Oh goddness, I still can't believe that you were able to do that." Glinda says happily as we carry our books to leave the classroom.
"Neither did I." I utter, still surprised at the whole thing.
"...Maybe after all, your being good at witchery, has to do with a little more push and encouragement. I am so happy for you Hermione! Finally." Glinda does her flappy dance.
I let out a laugh "You really suck at dancing Glinda"
"No more underestimation Hermione. If you could do what you did, even better than Mr Toloefretus, then I can be a good dancer too." She says
"Oh my goddess!" I laugh harder, nudging her gently.
"I know you cheated Hermione, and I will prove it!" Ketura and her minions' stops Glinda and I at the exit door.
"Cheated?" Glinda ask exasperatedly
"Yes, Maybe you two decided to connive and to fool the class; including Mr. Toloefretus... But I, Ketura Crofus, will not be fooled Hermione." Ketura utters boldly, drawing the attention of the rest students in the class.
"Shoo Ketura! Get out of the way, your claims aren't valid." Glinda mutters with furrowed eyebrows, waving her hands.
"Hey, I wasn't talking to you, Miss Goody two-shoes. She can talk for herself!" Ketura tells Glinda angrily. She turns to me, clapping her hands for a wand "Little Cousin," She spats "... I challenge you to a duel, right here and right now!"
How dare she? I start to feet heat in my chest. Something inside me seethes. My vision tinge red, slowly I hear the rapid thundering of her heart. I crave to rip it out.
"Hermione, your eyes..." Glinda panics, shaking me gently "It is red..."
"What?!" I hiss at her
"Woah." Glinda swiftly shifts back in fear.
"Do. Not. Dare. Me. Ketura." A voice not sounding like mine said. I push her roughly out of the way. She falls with a thud.
Her minions quickly rush to help her, when a knife suddenly slices close to my ear. It lands at the wall.
"You should know better than try me Hermione, My dread should fill your lungs... Now, Run little cousin. Run! Now that I have decided to pardon you..." I turn to see Ketura angrily pointing her wand towards me.
Fleetly I advance towards her, raising my hand in the air "Mecaz Telus oblim feztor Kara e!" A ball of fire suddenly erupts from my fingers, hitting Ketura.
She crumples to the ground, blacking out instantly.
I walk out, still seething in anger as I approach the cafeteria. Students hanging on the route instinctively paves way for me. I plop my buttocks on the empty chair beside Princess Athena and Prince Ares; who simply looks at me and the crowd that had gathered..."Okay?" Princess Athena mumbles, uncovering the meal before her "Somebody doesn't look too happy..."My eyes suddenly went to the table, my mouth watering at the delicacies before me. Prince Ares on seeing the expression of my face, pushed the spiced chicken before me. I grab it hungrily, eating it in five bites. I still felt extremely hungry. I look at them expectantly."Okay, someone is still hungry." Princess Athena says, extending her plate towards me. I look at her shyly, shaking my head."Go on..." She smiles encouraginglyI lurch at the food in a gluttonous manner, that when I lifted up my gaze from the empty plate, I suddenly felt embarrassed. How could I have acted this way in front of the royal children? Like someo
"Hello Hermione!""Hi, Hermione!""Hermione, can I walk with you?""Hermione, your uniform looks so nice on you.""Hermione, your skin is really glowing today! Mind sharing what herbal potion you are using for your skin?" Smiling faces greets me in the hallway.Students can be so unloyal and mean. Now that the Queen Bee is bedridden, everybody is acting all nice towards who put her in that situation. Not because they want to be on the safer side, but because the outcast has suddenly displayed a good prowess of witchcraft."Thanks." I fake a smile, waving at them. I find my locker easily as two seeming geeks pops up in front of me."Hermione, can we help you take your books to the class?" They ask"Hmm ...not to worry, I can take these myself." I utter, closing my locker."Please Hermione, let's just help you." They say, giving me weird glances."No, thank you. I can carry my books myself." I answer, making to move away from them."Please Hermione..." They say insistingly, creeping me
Another member of the council clears his throat loudly "Alright, let's begin... Miss Hermione Crofus! Do you deny using magic wrongfully to hurt a fellow student?""I do not deny using magic, but I deny using it wrongfully." I answer curtly. They share glances again."So, explain to this noble council why Miss Ketura Crofus is currently in this state?" The man rubs his beard thoughtfully, pointing to her. Ketura tries to hide a knowing smile, but it slips anyway.I frown "Ketura simply tried to attack me after a class, and I defended myself!""That's not entirely true, your nobles. I only confronted her after Mr. Toleofretus class about how she was able to make a dead flower come alive, reason been that over time, she has performed woefully in her tests and assessments. Her results over time will testify to this. I did think it was unhealthy, dishonest and fraudulent to lie to a teacher and our classmates." She bows, sitting down.Such beautiful speech. I fight the urge to roll my eye
"I honestly didn't think any of this would result to anyone getting hurt, I just want to make things right. Miss Hermione should be properly reprimanded, that is all I need and ask." Grandmother says, sitting down."Hmm, this is a delicate issue and as such, should be treated delicately. We all know Miss Hermione Crofus results has been woeful all along, but for her to be able to display such prowess in a short while, should say something to us." Principal Eldor speaks for the very first time. The woman and grandmother share confusing glances“Are you trying to insinuate, that she has been pretending all along? I mean, is it even possible to hide such skillfulness or dexterity for this long?" The woman asks, giving him a glare that depicts a 'what are you doing?' look.He ignores her, turning to the rest members of the council "...To my best knowledge, Miss Hermione, since her entry into this school has been a very quiet and well-reserved child..." The council members turn look at me.
It was lunch hour when I walked back into the school unit, I obviously had missed three classes. Few students were loitering in the hallway."Hey Hermione!" Glinda calls happily, on seeing me."Glinda." I exclaim happily, hugging her."How was the hearing? I heard it was pretty serious!" Glinda says, looking at my facial expression."Glinda! You really hear a lot of things, besides who fed you on that?" I ask, opening my locker to bring out the tiny bracelets I made early hours of this morning, to give to the Prince and Princess. A little token of me saying ‘thank you’.The white bracelet I made is for Prince Ares, while the blue is for Princess Athena; for she seem to like the color blue very much."...Hmmm, it was Kira who said it after class." Glinda answersI turn to look at her confusingly "Kira? Who's Kira?"Glinda tries to avoid my gaze "Hmm, Kira is one of Ketura's friends"My mouth drops in dismay "Wow! Okay, so you know her. You even know her name!... Tell me Glinda, what ha
I hear murmurings; a girl asks her friend "Oh I am so going to be wearing a beautiful lavender gown. How about you?"Her brunette friend replies "Well, I do not know yet. I guess I will have to trust what I'll see at home, You know my mother is one of the best cloth makers in the entire region?!" "Gracious goddess! I am so envious of you...""Oh Beatrix don't be." She rolls her eyes playfully, "I am pretty sure that we are turn up looking gorgeous. If not the most gorgeous!" The two girls giggle happily.I slowly make my way to the royal unit. I heave out a loud sigh "I really hope the princes and princess will love these bracelets. For I made them with love..."Two feet afore me, is the royal unit completely empty. My heart beat accelerates. Could it be that they had lunch and hurriedly left for they didn't want to be seen with me? Or they skipped lunch?"Hermione, just breathe..." Comes Ezli's voice."O goddess! How then would you explain this Ezli?" I ask, rubbing my throbbing hea
I stare at my reflection in the mirror; I am draped in a shimmering yellow dress. My red hair is styled to perfection as Ezli whispers to me the magic words for a makeup "Meko na tilaz eferusa konede eluazua zaris!" Star dust erupts from my fingers.I look totally unrecognizable."Yaaaaaay!" I swirl happily in front of the mirror. "Thank you so much, Ezli. I look very much like a Queen.""Yes, like the Queen you are ..." My cheeks bore crimson red. Even my blue eyes were sparkling so bright."Let's get going." I whisper to Ezli, closing my door. I saunter down the stairs quickly, and reaching the gate."Oops Ezli, do you think it's a good idea coming out this late? The whole place is deserted, plus there's no ride in view... You do know that I know nothing about the teleport dimension!" I say panicking"Hermione can you not panic and be calm?" Ezli hush me "...We can try the teleport dimension or rather still, use a fly car to get to our destination." Ezli tells me"The ones I saw the
"Gracious goddess!" I pant, clasping my palm over my chest cautiously."Mate... Mate... Mate... Why did you leave him Hermione? You shouldn't have left!" Ezli whines unhappily on our return from the royal ball."What would you have had me do? Grandmother, Ketura, Glinda and practically everybody that I know are in the palace! What should I have done?!" "You should have just stayed a little longer with our mate... Besides nobody could have recognized you!" Ezli whines again"Now that's not a chance I am willing to take. Ketura, Glinda or even grandmother on a closer glance would have recognized me right away... But why do you keep saying mate Ezli? ...right there in the ballroom, it was you, you called that stranger our mate Ezli. But why? A person can't have two mates, or can they? Was my grandmother true when she said I was principal Eldor's second mate?" I ask intensely, my emotions all jumbling up."You need to breath Hermione, breath..." Ezli says soothingly. I take in a deep bre